Article reviews present more than just an opinion. You will engage with the text to create a response to the scholarly writer’s ideas. You will respond to and use ideas, theories, and research from your studies. Your critique of the article will be based on proof and your own thoughtful reasoning. An article review only responds to the author’s research. It typically does not provide any new research. However, if you are correcting misleading or otherwise incorrect points, some new data may be presented. An article review both summarizes and evaluates the article.
Summarize the article. Focus on the important points, claims, and information. Discuss the positive aspects of the article. Think about what the author does well, good points she makes, and insightful observations. Identify contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the text. Determine if there is enough data or research included to support the author’s claims. Find any unanswered questions left in the article.
Make note of words or issues you don’t understand and questions you have. Look up terms or concepts you are unfamiliar with, so you can fully understand the article. Read about concepts in-depth to make sure you understand their full context.
Connect what you read in the article to your existing knowledge of the topic. Think about things you have discussed in class or other articles you have read. Does the article agree or disagree with your previous knowledge? Does it build on other knowledge from the field? Determine how the article you are reviewing is similar and different from other texts you’ve read on the subject. [5] X Expert Source Jake AdamsAcademic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist Expert Interview. 24 July 2020. Pay careful attention to the meaning of the article. Make sure you fully understand the article. The only way to write a good article review is to understand the article.
With either method, make an outline of the main points made in the article and the supporting research or arguments. It is strictly a restatement of the main points of the article and does not include your opinions. After putting the article in your own words, decide which parts of the article you want to discuss in your review. You can focus on the theoretical approach, the content, the presentation or interpretation of evidence, or the style. You will always discuss the main issues of the article, but you can sometimes also focus on certain aspects. This comes in handy if you want to focus the review towards the content of a course. [7] X Research source Review the summary outline to eliminate unnecessary items. Erase or cross out the less important arguments or supplemental information. Your revised summary can serve as the basis for the summary you provide at the beginning of your review.
What does the article set out to do? What is the theoretical framework or assumptions? Are the central concepts clearly defined? How adequate is the evidence? How does the article fit into the literature and field? Does it advance the knowledge of the subject? How clear is the author’s writing?[8] X Research source Don’t: include superficial opinions or your personal reaction. Do: pay attention to your biases, so you can overcome them.
For example, in MLA, a citation may look like: Duvall, John N. “The (Super)Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo’s White Noise. " Arizona Quarterly 50. 3 (1994): 127-53. Print.
For example: The article, “Condom use will increase the spread of AIDS,” was written by Anthony Zimmerman, a Catholic priest.
Your introduction should only be 10-25% of your review. [12] X Research source End the introduction with your thesis. Your thesis should address the above issues. For example: Although the author has some good points, his article is biased and contains some misinterpretation of data from others’ analysis of the effectiveness of the condom. [13] X Research source www. richard. jewell. net/WforC/WRITEREAD/CritReview/samples. htm
Use direct quotes from the author sparingly. Review the summary you have written. Read over your summary many times to ensure that your words are an accurate description of the author’s article.
Support your critique with evidence from the article or other texts. The summary portion is very important for your critique. You must make the author’s argument clear in the summary section for your evaluation to make sense. [15] X Research source Remember, this is not where you say if you liked the article or not. You are assessing the significance and relevance of the article. [16] X Research source Use a topic sentence and supportive arguments for each opinion. For example, you might address a particular strength in the first sentence of the opinion section, followed by several sentences elaborating on the significance of the point.
This should only be about 10% of your overall essay. For example: This critical review has evaluated the article “Condom use will increase the spread of AIDS” by Anthony Zimmerman. The arguments in the article show the presence of bias, prejudice, argumentative writing without supporting details, and misinformation. These points weaken the author’s arguments and reduce his credibility. [17] X Research source www. richard. jewell. net/WforC/WRITEREAD/CritReview/samples. htm
Make sure you have identified and discussed the 3-4 key issues in the article. [18] X Research source
